Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program

If you have trouble breathing because of emphysema, chronic bronchitis, asthma or other lung conditions, help may be available. Great River Medical Center's Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program can show you how to take charge of your breathing and make your life more comfortable.

The Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program is offered on an outpatient basis at the hospital’s Center for Rehabilitation. Classes are held every Tuesday and Thursday for six weeks. You may choose from a morning or an afternoon class.

Program benefits

The Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program will help you understand your breathing problems. You will learn what you can do to help yourself breathe better, and how to improve your health and the quality of your daily living.

The program's goal is to help you maintain an optimal state of physical and mental health. Direct benefits include:

•	Improving your activities of daily living
•	Improving your exercise endurance
•	Learning how to control the symptoms of your respiratory impairment
•	Reducing the occurrence of shortness of breath

Program components

The Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program is a combination of breathing exercises, conditioning and education. The program includes learning how to breathe easier and how to effectively clear mucus from the lungs. Our staff also will help you understand your medications so you can take them correctly and potentially reduce your medication costs. In addition, we will provide help in how to stop smoking, if necessary.

Medical evaluation

When you first enter the program, we will obtain and evaluate a complete medical history of your respiratory problems so we can develop an individualized treatment program. You may undergo all or some of the following tests at the beginning of the program:

•	Arterial blood gases
•	Chest X-ray
•	Electrocardiogram
•	Pulmonary function
•	Six-minute walk test

After testing is complete, our staff will develop an individualized exercise prescription for you to maximize aerobic benefits while ensuring your safety. Exercise is important because physically fit muscles require less oxygen to use them.

Therapy and educational sessions

All exercise therapy sessions are conducted under closely monitored and controlled conditions. Each session consists of warm-up exercises followed by conditioning on select equipment that may include a treadmill, biocycle, arm ergometer and ending with a cool-down period.

Besides the supervised exercise sessions, participants also attend educational sessions to learn:

•	Basic anatomy and physiology of the lungs, and how various pulmonary diseases affect the lungs
•	How to relax
•	Important panic-control methods
•	Preventing infections
•	Skills for reducing stress
•	The correct foods to eat
•	Tips for daily living
•	Using oxygen safely
•	Ways to conserve energy and reduce fatigue

Program costs and insurance

Most major health insurance companies may reimburse all or part of the fees for the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program. Participants are encouraged to contact their health insurance company to confirm reimbursement.

Program admission

Admission to the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program at Great River Medical Center requires the approval of your personal physician. If you are interested in learning more about the program, please call the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Coordinator at (319) 768-3150.